National Awards 2017

January 25, celebrated as the National Voters' Day (NVD) witnesses focused festivities at 700000 locations all over the nation reverberating with the celebration of democracy and cores of Indians rejoicing their right to vote. NVD aims at increasing enrolment f voters, especially newly eligible young voters (18-19 years old) and ensure universal adult franchise for all, celebrated with gusto since 2011 on January 25, the foundation day of Election Commission of India ( January 25, 1950)

This year marks the 8th National Voter's Day with theme 'Accessible Elections'.

Awards for Excellence, Proficiency and Innovation in election processes and procedures are being conferred on the occasion of National Voters' Day. These Awards recognize contribution by election machinery, government department/agency/PSU/CSO and media in the year 2017.

While State Awards are being presented in the NVD functions at State Headquarters, the National Awards are being presented at the national function in Delhi.

BEST ELECTORAL PRACTICES AWARDS 2017

for ELECTION MANAGEMENT:

General

Initiatives:

Polling Station Rationalization & 100 % AMF

Prepare to vote – 39 Lakh Bulk SMS Sent to citizens.

45 camps organized for industrial employees, Migrant labours and Unorganized labours, 102 Transgenders were registered compared to Zero in 2012, 12 Special Camps for Senior Citizen and families of service personnel

Vivek Gogia, IGP, Goa

Comprehensive measures taken up to ensure smooth and peaceful elections including deployment of security personnel with micro detailing

Deployment of DFMD at casinos to restrict their usage as cash distribution.

Outcome:

Overall Law and Order situation remained peaceful during elections.

for ELECTORAL ROLL MANAGEMENT :

General

Antara Acharya, DEO, North 24 Parganas

Initiatives:

Host District Strategy-Interaction with eligible voters, their sensitization and awareness generation about the De novo exercise.

Recipient District Strategy - Timely disposal of all forms received by EROs and providing necessary information.

G (General voter)+S (Service Voter)=T (Total Voter) approach: Check and ensure 100% inclusion of all probable electors into Electoral Roll, facilitating their inclusion as either Service Elector or General Elector at current place of posting (as per choice of elector).

Celebration of NVD with Service Personnel.4991 service personnel enrolled during registration.

Special

Paresh Fal Dessai, SDM & ERO South Goa

Initiatives:

Strategic planning at ERO level, the areas to be concentrated for enrolment

Involvement of social worker in the enrolment of Wanarmare Nomadic Tribe Community, resolved clashes in the community and Meeting with tribe leader and electors for awareness on ethical voting.

Provided adequate security to the claimant at the time of enrolment, after enrolment and on poll day

Outcome:

40 persons from Wanarmare community voted for first time after liberation of Goa

Om Prakash Bunkar, ERO, Udaipur (Special Category)

Initiatives:

Planned activities were taken up for updating and improving electoral roll in preparation for upcoming election in the State in 2018. Special camps were held after identifying gaps at polling station level.

Outcome:

Improved EP ratio and gender ratio in the electoral roll for Udaipur with enhancedregistration of young voters in 18-19 years age groupduring the Summary Revision drive in the State in 2017

for INNOVATIVE MEASURES :

General

Kaushal Raj Sharma, DEO, Kanpur Nagar, Uttar Pradesh

Initiatives:

Special focus on wholistic involvement of Divyang voters

Door to door survey of Divyang people in city, 26,043 Divyang voters identified

Departments and NSS, NCC, NYK, Civil defence called to depute their employees or volunteers as DivyangAssistants,Training of Divyang Assistants

Divyang welfare NGOs, Associations, Civil defence were roped in to help BLOs

A separate Divyangvoters control room

Outcome:

Voting percentage of Disabled Voters recorded at 80.78 %

Special

Lalit Narayan Singh Sandhu, Assistant Collector, Vansda, Gujarat

Initiatives:

Navsari Polling Booths App - An application for voters and Election officials to navigate the route of the polling stations.

Programs to involve Satipati Voters.

Outcome:

128 Satipati Believers Enrolled,55 of them voted.

Jatinder Singh Aulakh, Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, Punjab

Initiatives:

Developed the specialized support system application 'SECURITYNET' for getting time bound online information on security arrangements, its follow-up and updates for making timely and intelligent decisions on critical security matters during the State Assembly Election 2017.

Outcome:

Response time for security related issues became shorter and it became easier to follow up on action taken

Amrit Tripathi, DEO Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh

Initiatives:

A digital booth level data app was used for daily monitoring of voter roll revision at booth level

SVEEP Paragons – Young Volunteers sent to different constituencies of the district with lower voter turnout to spread Voter Awareness.

'Vote Ki Mehndi' introduced to augment female voters

DivyangJyoti - Software developed to increase the participation of PWD Voters and to facilitate them during the Poll Day

Use of Solar lights as Assured measure for round the clock electricity supply in cent percent booths

District Election Mobile App (Android) was circulated to all the Districts by CEO Uttar Pradesh with the name Booth-Level-Diary.

Outcome:

Total Voter percentage increased by 2.69 %, EP Ratio by 0.55 % and gender ratio by 1.16 %. Total PWD voter percentage recorded at 78.6%.

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE TO STATES FOR VOTER EDUCATION AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION

Pushpendra Rajput, CEO Himachal Pradesh

Initiatives:

Targeted intervention for youth participation; Youth Voter Festival organized and campus ambassadors strengthened in schools/ colleges to tackle urban apathy; collaboration with Department of Labor to reach out to youth working in industrial area

Focused intervention for women participation; Established "MahilaPreraks" for informing, motivating and facilitating the women exclusively, Inclusion of Substantial number of women in BAGs; Production and display of women specific audio-visual documentary to spread electoral awareness

Facilitation for inclusion; Special Modules developed for PWDs; Special outreach program for targeting nomadic groups living in Chamba, Kinnaur, Lahaul and Sipti Districts; Special campaigns for senior citizens in old age home and retirees' club

Outcome:

Resulted in free and fair elections with record voter turnout in the State Assembly Election 2017.

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE TO STATES FOR VOTER EDUCATION AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION

Efficient SMS poll monitoring,More than 80% voters exercised their franchise in districts such as Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot and Sangrur.More than one lakh paramilitary personnel were deployed in the state for smooth conduct of polls.

Approx 60 lakh voters enrolled. The ratio of female voters in comparison to the female population which was increased to 60.38% from 58.78% . The gender ratio improved from 827 in draft roll to 839 in final roll.A total addition of 20.57 lakh voters in 18-19 age groups

A form of chit based gambling known Matka as The DEOs had identified in each constituency one polling station as pink polling station for females.

Special Focus on registration of mentally challenged persons- emphasis on Unsound Mind certification for non-registration

Outcome:

Goa went for 100% ETPBS. More than 100 cases booked under Gambling Act through Matka. Goa became first state to use VVPAT in all Assembly Constituencies.

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE TO STATES FOR ELECTION MANAGEMENT

Shri. B B Swain, CEO Gujarat

Initiatives:

Two distinctive Logos conveying different phases (Enrollment and Elections Phase) were created and widely used in all the campaigns

Highest number of new Polling stations were created in 2017 Special creatives on EVM/VVPAT awareness with tagline #બટનદબાવીને 'જુઓ' (#बटनदबाके 'देखो')

182 'Sakhi' Polling Stations were established in the State, which were managed entirely by women functionaries

An exceptional number of PwDs, Senior Citizens and Centenarians casted their vote enthusiasm, which was the ultimate achievement for all the efforts put in by Gujarat.

Awareness drives on NOTA following finding of low awareness in KAP Survey.

De novo Enrollment of Service voters and ETPBS was carried out successfully.

Outcome:

The State achieved a Roll EP Ratio (64.64) closest ever to the Census EP Ratio (65.22) with a gap of just 0.58%.No major complaint related to Electoral Roll recorded. Achieved a Roll Gender Ratio of 921 against the Census Gender Ratio of 918 A net addition of 17,46,082 electors in the year 2017 with a net addition of 959,675 women electors. 100% matching of VVPAT slips with EVM votes in 182 polling stations. Successful election management and force deployment efforts led to a peaceful election and a high turnout of 69.04%.

NATIONAL MEDIA AWARD, 2017

National Media Award for For Campaign on Voter Education and Awareness

Hindustan, Uttar Pradesh

Mr. Shashi Shekhar, Editor-in-chief, Hindustan receives the award

Initiatives:

Took up mediacampaign to carry out various awareness programmes for mass mobilization of voters in the State Assembly Elections Uttar Pradesh 2017

Activities

About Us

Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) is a programme of multi interventions through different modes and media designed to educate citizens, electors and voters about the electoral process in order to increase their awareness and participation in the electoral processes. SVEEP is designed according to the socio-economic, cultural and demographic profile of the state as well as the history of electoral participation in previous rounds of elections and learning thereof.

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Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India. The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country. The Election Commission operates under the authority of Constitution per Article 324, and subsequently enacted Representation of the People Act.